Restoring Scotland's peat bogs

"The Wet Woods LIFE Project . . . [is] a series of conservation initiatives on two priority habitats known collectively as ‘wet woods’. The broad aim of the project is to restore and enhance some of the most important areas of bog woodland and floodplain woodland in the United Kingdom, being located on or adjacent to four candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSAC) designated for these habitats under the EU Habitats Directive: Monadh Mor on the Black Isle; Pitmaduthy in Easter Ross; the Conon Islands on the river Conon; Abernethy in Strathspey; and Inshriach at the foot of the Cairngorms. Although restoration treatments varied by site, they generally included removal of non-native coniferous tree species, thinning of planted Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), and damming of drainage canals responsible for altering natural hydrologic conditions. The project has proven highly successful, achieving 98% of the stated target for hydrological restoration (363 ha at six sites) and well over the target for habitat restoration (329 ha at six sites). Due to the importance of these woodlands and their inclusion under existing commitments to nature conservation, subsequent monitoring and management activities will be ongoing."